Earth as a System: Energy, Matter and Life

Cryosphere and Geosphere

Atmosphere and Hydrosphere

Biosphere and Atmosphere

Hydrosphere and Biosphere

Atmosphere

Biosphere

Hydrosphere

Geosphere

A bird flying in the sky

Water eroding a canyon

Ice melting in a glass

A person breathing

It has only one part

Its parts are separate and do not touch

Its parts interact and work together

It does not need energy

The spheres do not affect each other

Changes in one sphere can cause changes in all the others

It is the only planet with a geosphere

Energy and matter never leave the planet

Geosphere

Atmosphere

Cryosphere

Biosphere

Liquid water freezing to become part of glaciers

Water evaporating to form oxygen

Rivers flowing into the mantle

Plants drinking saltwater

The direct vertical movement of air at the equator

The deflection of moving air and water to the right in the Northern Hemisphere

The increase in gravity at the poles compared to the equator

The creation of the magnetosphere around the Earth

$CO_2$; Hydrosphere

$O_3$ (Ozone); Biosphere

$N_2$; Geosphere

$CH_4$; Cryosphere

The mixing of environmental air into a growing cloud or plume

The capture of carbon by the ocean surface

The freezing of water onto the base of an ice shelf

The movement of tectonic plates into the mantle

Much warmer

Much colder

The same

Exactly 100 degrees Celsius

By conducting heat to the moon

By emitting infrared radiation

By absorbing moonlight

By turning into ice

Troposphere

Stratosphere

Mesosphere

Exosphere

It is absorbed

It is reflected

It is refracted

It is destroyed

$0^{\circ}$

$23.5^{\circ}$

$45^{\circ}$

$90^{\circ}$

Melting ice reduces albedo, leading to more absorption of heat and more melting.

Plants growing taller to reach the moon.

Volcanoes erupting because the sun is too bright.

The moon moving closer to the Earth when it is summer.

Magnetic fields

The movement of air or water masses

Vibrations in solid rocks

Light reflecting off clouds

Red light penetrates the deepest

Blue and green light penetrate the deepest, while red is absorbed near the surface

All wavelengths penetrate to the same depth

UV radiation is the only wavelength that reaches the deep ocean

It stops winds from blowing

It deflects moving air to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, creating circulation patterns

It causes air to move directly from the poles to the equator in a straight line

It increases the solar constant at the equator

Energy released during phase changes of water

Heat that can be measured by a thermometer and felt as a temperature change

Heat trapped by the Ozone layer

Radiation reflected by the Moon

Condensation -> Evaporation -> Precipitation

Evaporation -> Condensation -> Precipitation

Precipitation -> Evaporation -> Condensation

Evaporation -> Precipitation -> Condensation

It provides oxygen for respiration

It maintains Earth's temperature

It protects from UV radiation

All of the above

High Oxygen

Dust and water vapor

Low Nitrogen

Carbon monoxide

Only Oxygen and Nitrogen

Solids and liquids

Various gases

Water and Soil

From land to sea

From sea to land

From north to south

From mountains to valleys

The air must become warmer

The pressure must increase

The temperature of the air must drop

The clouds must move to the sea

The Earth's orbital speed

Differential heating and cooling of land and water

The tilt of the Earth's axis

The gravitational pull of the Sun

Cloud formation and precipitation would be significantly hindered.

The sky would turn completely black during the day.

Wind speeds would increase to the speed of light.

Gravity would no longer be able to hold the air to the Earth.

Unstable (prone to vertical movement and storms).

Stable (suppressing vertical movement).

Neutral (no tendency to move).

Isothermal (uniform temperature).

In conjunction with the Earth's magnetic field, the Ionosphere/Thermosphere helps deflect and absorb these particles.

The $CO_2$ in the atmosphere dissolves the particles into rain.

The clouds act as a physical shield that the particles cannot penetrate.

The Nitrogen molecules reflect the particles back to the Sun.

Increased rainfall

Increased UV radiation reaching Earth

Decrease in global temperature

More oxygen in the air

Oxygen

Carbon dioxide

Nitrogen

Hydrogen

$CO_{2}$

$H_{2}O$

$O_{2}$

$N_{2}$

Afforestation

Mining

Industrialization

Driving petrol cars

Ammonia ($NH_{3}$)

Oxides of Nitrogen ($NO_{x}$)

Liquid Nitrogen ($N_{2}$)

Ammonium carbonate ($NH_{4})_{2}CO_{3}$

Transpiration

Respiration

Photosynthesis

Fermentation

It increases significantly every year

It decreases as it is used by organisms

It remains constant but changes form

It is converted into energy and lost

Build up of atmospheric $N_2$.

Accumulation of Nitrates in the soil, potentially leading to runoff/leaching.

Depletion of soil moisture.

Increase in the number of nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

The physical process of $CO_2$ dissolving into sea water and being transported to the deep ocean by currents.

The use of pumps to remove $CO_2$ from the air.

The process of fish exhaling $CO_2$ into the water.

The way salt dissolves in the ocean.

Volcanic eruption

Subduction

Metamorphism

Erosion

It increases

It starts to decrease rapidly

It stays the same for 12 hours

It boils

Earthquakes

Weather patterns

Tides

Lunar eclipses

Move further apart

Come closer together

Stop moving

Increase in size

There is more land at the Equator

The Sun's rays are more concentrated at the Equator

There are more volcanoes at the Equator

The Equator is closer to the Moon

It shows that the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere do not interact

It demonstrates how energy flow (from the Sun) drives the movement of matter (air and water)

It proves that the Earth is an isolated system with no outside energy

It explains why the Earth's internal core is hot

To the right of its path

To the left of its path

Straight upward

Directly backward

The Sun turns off at night

The Earth reflects all incoming energy immediately

The Earth radiates heat back into space as infrared radiation

The oceans freeze the incoming heat

It will decrease to maintain equilibrium

It will increase to compensate for the reduced efficiency of radiation

It will stay the same because emissivity does not affect temperature

It will drop to absolute zero

Hadley Cell

Ferrel Cell

Polar Cell

Walker Circulation

How the intensity of solar radiation decreases exponentially as it passes through the atmosphere

The speed of sound in different layers of the air

The reason why the sky appears blue

The relationship between air pressure and wind speed

Rotation cell

Convection cell

Conduction box

Radiation loop

Toward the North

From the North toward the South

Toward the East

Toward the West

Colder

Warmer

Same temperature

Frozen

The Water Cycle

Wind formation

Photosynthesis

All of the above

It is a slow-moving ocean current near the equator

It is a narrow band of strong wind in the upper atmosphere

It is caused by the gravitational pull of the sun

It only flows from North to South

The valley air heating up faster than the peak

The peak cooling down faster, causing air to become dense and sink

The peak being closer to the moon

Clouds blocking the sun in the valley

Hot air molecules are heavier

Heating causes air to expand, decreasing its density compared to surrounding cool air

The Sun's gravity pulls hot air upward

Hot air is attracted to the ozone layer

Reflected shortwave radiation (Albedo).

Incoming ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

Absorption and re-emission of longwave (infrared) radiation by atmospheric gases.

Conduction of heat from the Earth's core to the crust.

The Sun pulls the air toward the West as it moves across the sky.

Air moving toward the Equator is deflected Westward by the Coriolis effect.

The Earth's magnetic poles attract the air molecules.

Ocean currents push the air in that direction.

The formation of the Polar Easterlies.

The movement of the Gulf Stream.

The occurrence of Lunar Eclipses.

The seasonal reversal of Monsoons.

Coal

Petroleum

Natural gas

Wood

It is recycled

It is lost as heat

It is stored forever

It is turned into matter

Carbon cycle

Hydrological cycle

Nitrogen cycle

Oxygen cycle

Oxygen

Carbon dioxide

Nitrogen

Ozone

Because the Earth receives a constant supply of new matter from space.

Because the amount of matter on Earth is finite and must be reused.

Because it creates energy for the sun to shine.

Because it prevents the Earth's gravity from changing.

Plants produce $CO_{2}$ during photosynthesis.

Respiration uses $O_{2}$ and produces $CO_{2}$.

Nitrogen fixation requires $CO_{2}$ to produce oxygen.

Water evaporation produces both $CO_{2}$ and $O_{2}$.

Oxygen levels increase due to more algae performing photosynthesis.

Oxygen levels decrease because decomposers use it all up after the algae die.

Oxygen levels remain the same as the water cycle is balanced.

Oxygen is converted into nitrogen by the algae.

Carbon-12 vs Carbon-14 (Fossil fuels have no Carbon-14)

Carbon-12 vs Carbon-13 (Plants and fossil fuels have a lower C-13/C-12 ratio)

Carbon-14 only (It is highly radioactive in fossil fuels)

Carbon-13 only (It is only found in the atmosphere)

Nitrogen gas acts as a catalyst for photosynthesis.

Availability of fixed nitrogen (nitrates) is often the limiting factor for plant growth and thus the rate of carbon fixation.

Nitrogen in the air reflects heat, keeping plants cool for better $CO_2$ absorption.

Bacteria that fix nitrogen also release large amounts of $CO_2$ for plants to use.

Infiltration

Percolation

Sublimation

Condensation

June 5th

April 22nd

September 16th

December 2nd

Soil

Water

Air

Plants

It makes the soil too dry

It can lead to waterlogging and salinity

It increases the number of earthworms

It prevents weeds from growing

Urbanization and expansion of agriculture

Creating national parks

Afforestation

Organic farming

Evaporation

Cloud Formation (Condensation)

Infiltration

Transpiration

It makes snow whiter and more reflective.

It absorbs sunlight and accelerates snow melting.

It prevents snow from melting by acting as an insulator.

It increases the oxygen level in the snow.

Oxygen

Nitrogen

Methane

Argon

The depth at which photosynthesis equals respiration for plants.

The depth below which calcium carbonate ($CaCO_3$) dissolves faster than it can accumulate.

The maximum depth at which $CO_2$ can be compressed into a liquid.

The depth where whales store the most carbon in their bodies.

It weakens the thermocline, allowing for better mixing of nutrients.

It strengthens the thermocline (increased stratification), hindering the upwelling of nutrients from the deep sea.

It moves the thermocline to the very bottom of the ocean.

It turns the entire ocean into a single uniform temperature layer.

By increasing the water vapor content in the air.

By exposing organic matter to oxygen, leading to rapid decomposition and $CO_2$ release.

By reflecting more sunlight due to the dry surface.

By cooling the surrounding area and slowing down photosynthesis.